News Release: 11/4/2025

Oct. 28, 2025

Re:  Keep Nac Safe
A citizen-led committee recommending new jail for Nacogdoches County
Purpose:  Voters in Nacogdoches County will vote on November 4, 2025 whether to approve $75 million in bonds to build a new county jail. The current jail, built 35 years ago, is overcrowded, with a capacity of 324 people, and the county has been forced to house inmates in other counties at a cost of $1.5 million annually. The new jail would have a capacity of around 570 inmates. The decision to pursue a new jail came only after a citizen jail committee recommended a new facility, and the county commissioners voted unanimously to put the bond proposition on the ballot. The committee, which included community members and the sheriff, spent months studying the current jail’s issues and recommended a larger facility. The new jail is estimated to cost between $70 and $80 million, but the bond is capped at $75 million. The proposition will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot.
 
Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce Statement
 
During the Oct. 28, 2025 meeting, the Nacogdoches County Chamber board of directors discussed and voted to issue the following statement of support for the proposition to fund the construction of a new jail in Nacogdoches County.
 
Based on the information that a new jail:

• will solve the current overcrowding conditions causing a cost to Nacogdoches County of $1.5 million per year to house inmates in surrounding counties;
• will create a safer working environment for local law enforcement;
• will bring the jail into compliance with state codes and standards;
• will create a safer environment for the people who work and live in Nacogdoches County;
• and in the context of The Chamber’s mission to create an environment where business can succeed;